The 'Occupy' protests have seemingly taken root beyond their humble start in NYC and protesting against the perception of Wall St. greed and excess, and have begun to morph into something bigger, more fundamental, and potentially more meaningful that anyone originally would have thought.

What do these protests have to do with Human Resources and the workforce? Well, plenty - shrinking job prospects and stagnant wage growth for the '99%' are a key element in these protests. Recent graduates faced with boatloads of student loan debt and often bleak job and career prospects seem to make up an important 'Occupy' cohort.

But at the same time, many people, including HR pros feel like the Occupiers are simply spoiled and feeling entitled. They want them to get out of the park and go get a job. But is it really that simple? Are we as talent professionals doing enough?

This week on the HR Happy Hour Show we are having an open forum for the HR and Talent community to share their views on the 'Occupy' movement, and hopefully to have some constructive dialogue on what we can all do to help turn things around.

So this is your chance, loyal HR Happy Hour listeners, to get off the backchannel for a minute and join the conversation on the show.

No guests, no specific agenda, no rules, no axe to grind - just an open discussion about the 'Occupy' movement, the lingering problems of unemployement and the stagnation of real income for most Americans, and the ways that organizations and HR professionals can make a difference for good.

It should be a fun show and I hope you will join us - and call in to have your voice and point of view on the Occupy movement heard.

With the tremendous amount of change in the workplace today caused by increased global competition, the rise of mobile technology, the emergence of social networking and social media, and the need to manage a more diverse and more flexible workplace; the challenges on the modern HR organization perhaps have never been greater.

Adapting to meet these challenges, via a combination of organizational alignment strategies, re-assessment and re-deployment of key HR skills, and more deeply integrating HR operations with business objectives are chief concerns of most HR leaders today.

On the show this week, we will welcome Kim Seals, a partner from Mercer, to talk about the transformations happening in HR organizations, and some of the key concepts and frameworks that can help HR leaders better adapt to these challenging times. To get a jump on the conversation, head over to the Mercer site and download a free copy of their latest whitepaper, 'It's Time for the Next Generation Service Delivery Model'.

Business is changing, the workforce is changing, and HR needs to change as well to stay current, relevant, and important. I hope you can join us to talk about how progressive organizations are changing the way HR services are delivered today.

Alexandra takes on some of the most widely held and common misperceptions about the corporate world and what it takes for career success, and will explain why clinging to these myths will certainly hold you back.

Additionally, she will lay out some straightforward and timeless strategies you can apply to make the most out of the opportunities you have, and help you get to the top of the heap.

Alexandra is a superb guest and I think you will enjoy her take on the world of work, and how by exposing some old wise sayings as the myths they really are, you can succeed.

Sure social recruiting is not all that new anymore, and you probably think you know all you need to know about it, but truly, are your efforts in the space really paying off?

Or perhaps your organization has yet to wade into the fast-moving and kind of confusing social space for recruiting, brand building, and candidate generation.

This week on the show we will take a deeper dive into the world of social recruiting with two experts in the worlds of social and recruiting - Ryan Healy from Brazen Careerist, and Susan Strayer from Exaqueo.

We will talk some theory, some strategy, some technology - and preview the upcoming Social Recruiting Bootcamp - and event being launched next month by the folks at Brazen Careerist.

Social recruiting is always a lively topic and I hope you will join in this week!

This week on the HR Happy Hour Show we welcome back HR and HR Technology industry legend Naomi Bloom to have a conversation about work, and the challenges and opportunities that await not only HR and Talent Management professionals today, but everyone that has to successfully navigate the complex and competitive world of work today.

The world has indeed shrunk, emerging economies all over the world are competing for capital and talent - making the 'war for talent' truly a global contest. But it isn't just organizations that have to worry about global competition - its individuals as well, globalization, constant connectivity, and the ability for most anyone to work from anywhere have changed the notion of work forever. Add to that the emergence of free-agent nation, and the need to sometimes manufacture your own career makes preparation and commitment more important than ever for professionals today.

This week Naomi will share the insights learned from her long career as a leader, and offer some advice as to the best ways to apporach work and our careers to remain relevant and competitive today.